CARRICK district council planners tonight look set to give the go-ahead for an application to demolish a store building at Back Quay, Truro and erect a retail complex of five shops.

Cornish Beef Limited wish to turn a site at the rear of the Mansion House - currently a yard used as a private car park and an occasion market - into shops at ground level with a first-floor restaurant and storage area, fire escape and staff facilities.

Karl Roberts, a Carrick planning officer, said: "The overall concept of the development would result in the formation of a new 'ope', similar to Pydar Mews or Cathedral Street.

"The shops would be set back under the restaurant to form a colonnade."

It is proposed to pave most of the area between the plan site and the Pannier Market."

A proposal for the erection of 37 demountable open market stalls was originally approved in 1993 and at the time the application included a proposal to demolish the building fronting Back Quay and to erect a replacement two-storey building with single storey retail units at the rear. The scheme was revised again in 1997 but remained undetermined and the project was resurrected in 2001.

Tonight, planning officers will recommend conditional approval, subject to concerns over highway, CCTV requirements and flooding issues.